This invention relates to anchoring devices, and more particularly to an anchoring device particularly suited for use with walls accessible from only one surface thereof, serving to provide a threaded or friction anchor for an attaching member, such as a bolt, screw, or friction pin, which it is desired to insert into a relatively frangible wall structure which would not normally have the requisite physical characteristics to securely engage and retain the bolt, screw, or friction pin, which is employed to affix some item to the wall.
A variety of situations exist in which it is desired to secure an attaching member, such as a bolt, screw, nail, friction pin, or the like attaching members, to a wall which does not normally have the requisite strength to securely engage the bolt, screw, or friction pin. Thus with plaster walls, or walls formed of plaster board, sheet rock, fiberglass, or the like compositions, and even with many wood panelled walls, it is found that a screw, bolt, or nail will often not be retained securely when driven into the wall to hang mirrors, wall brackets, plaques, and the large variety of different hardware items which it is often desired to secure to a wall.
In the past, a variety of anchor bolts have been evolved for use in fastening an article to a "blind opening" in a wall, that is, an opening which is accessible from only one side of the wall. These anchor bolts have generally been either of a toggle bolt type, or an expansible type. In the toggle bolt type, two spring separated wings are secured to a nut, with the wings adapted for folding parallel to each other along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the nut. A bolt is engaged with the nut, the wings are folded together, and the bolt with the nut and wings is inserted into the blind opening. The wings after passing through the wall expand, and the winged nut is pulled up tight against the blind side of the wall by the bolt, with the bolt and wings remaining on the blind side of the wall. With the expansible anchoring devices, a variety of plug members have been employed which are inserted into the blind opening in the wall, with a screw member engaged in the anchoring device. The plug on the blind side of the wall is then expanded as the screw is threaded into the plug, thus retaining the plug in position on the blind side of the wall.
With these prior devices, when it is desired to replace any items held in place by the bolt and anchoring device, it is found that removal of the bolt or screw permits the anchoring device to drop down on the blind side of the wall, requiring the purchase of a new assembly of screw and anchoring device, and re-positioning of the anchoring device, which often results in undesired enlargement of the hole through which the anchoring device was initially inserted.
Additionally, where it is desired to secure a rather heavy element to a wall, with prior devices, where the attaching member must be engaged with the item to be secured prior to engaging the attaching member to the anchoring device, supporting the item while positioning and securing the anchoring device is rather clumsy.
Another problem with previously evolved anchoring devices is that a specifically dimensioned anchoring device must be used for each differently dimensioned attaching member.
It is with the above considerations in mind that the present improved anchoring device has been evolved providing means whereby a relatively frangible wall structure may be provided with an anchoring device inserted into a blind opening in the wall from an accessible surface of the wall, with the anchoring device retained in position so that an attaching member, such as a bolt, screw, or pressure member may be securely engaged (though selectively removable) with respect to the wall for retaining an article which it is desired to support on the wall, and with a single anchoring device subject to selective use for a number of differently dimensioned attaching members.
It is accordingly among the primary objects of the invention to provide an improved anchoring device adapted for securement through a blind opening in a wall.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an anchoring device which is retained in operative position after securement to a wall and permits any attaching member, such as a bolt, screw, or pressure pin, engaged with the anchoring device to be removed and re-inserted into the anchoring device as desired.
A further object of the invention is to provide an anchoring device which may be selectively employed for anchoring differently dimensioned attaching members.
These and other objects of the invention which will become hereafter apparent are achieved by providing an elongate toggle plate of a width permitting insertion into an opening in a wall member to which attachment is desired. The toggle plate is formed with an opening dimensioned to engage an attaching member, such as a bolt, screw, pressure pin, nail, or the like. The toggle plate may if desired be formed with a plurality of attaching member engaging openings to selectively accommodate different attaching members. Pivotally secured to the toggle plate are one or more elongate runners, preferably in the form of toothed strips. A washer of a dimension larger than the wall opening is formed with a central opening through which the attaching member, such as a bolt, screw, nail, pressure pin, or the like, may pass, and an opening, one for each runner, through which the runner passes. The runner opening is dimensioned to frictionally engage the runner.
In use, the toggle plate is inserted into the wall opening to the blind side thereof, with the runners extending through the opening on the facing or exposed sides of the wall. The washer with the runners threaded through the runner openings in the washer are then pulled along the runners up against the facing side of the wall to bring the toggle plate flush with the blind side of the wall, thus retaining the toggle plate and washer flush against the wall. The runners are then bent over the washer, with the exposed runner end preferably broken off flush with the washer. Thereafter, an attaching member such as a bolt, screw, nail, or pressure pin, is inserted through the washer, through the wall opening, into the toggle plate opening, for anchoring by the toggle plate. As understood, the attaching member will extend through or from the article to be attached to the wall to retain same in position.
A feature of the invention resides in the fact that the attaching member, such as a bolt, screw, nail push pin, or the like, may be removed from the anchoring member, with the anchoring member remaining in position and with the attaching member subject to re-insertion as desired.
Another feature of the invention resides in the fact that the article to be attached to the wall need not be held in position as the anchoring device is positioned.
A further feature resides in the fact that a single anchoring device may be selectively employed to engage and anchor different attaching members.
Another feature of the invention resides in the fact that the toggle plate may be made with a piercing end, permitting the toggle plate to be used to form the wall opening through which the toggle plate is to be inserted.
A further feature of the invention resides in the formation of the washer with runner recesses accommodating the runner flush with the plane of the washer so that the runner may be bent over, and either broken off, or retained in the recess without extending from the plane of the washer, which is substantially flush with the wall.
An additional feature resides in the formation of the runners with ratchet teeth engaging the slide openings in the washer.